Hunting ban at Stratham Hill worth revisiting

A group of Stratham citizens are considering bringing a petition to Town Meeting in March asking voters to ban hunting in Stratham Hill Park and the town forest's extensive trail network.

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By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board

seacoastonline.com

By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board

Posted Dec. 10, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Portsmouth Herald Editorial Board
Posted Dec. 10, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

A group of Stratham citizens are considering bringing a petition to Town Meeting in March asking voters to ban hunting in Stratham Hill Park and the town forest's extensive trail network.

Town meeting voters defeated a similar measure brought forward by selectmen in 2012, but since that time use of the park has continued to grow and citizens on both sides of the issue acknowledge it's probably worth a second look.

"The amount of people using the park has doubled in the last two years and we keep expanding the trails. The more races we have, the more people who come to use it," said Park Ranger Kim Woods, who clarified she was speaking as a citizen and not a town official. "There's cross-country skiers in the winter and the Coyote Club takes little kids for walks, and then you get hunters from out of the area. It's just a bad mix. I think the potential is there for someone to get hurt."

Woods recently reported illegal duck hunting in the park where hunters who were not Stratham residents were fined after they shot ducks out of season from one of the hiking trails.

Dan Crow, who served as an unofficial spokesman for local hunters the last time the question was debated, also serves as the president of the Stratham Hill Park Association. He too acknowledges the increasing popularity of the park.

"We've enhanced the trail systems and therefore we're generating more traffic through the woods, and by default we've increased the density of bikers, hikers, runners and walkers," Crow said. "So with hunters using the park too, it's a delicate balance."

The hunting ban effort is being led by resident Tana Ream. She has created a Facebook page www.facebook.com/StrathamHillParkBanHunting and a survey www.tinyurl.com/strathamhunting.

"We have kids' programs in the woods," Ream said. "We have mountain bikers riding the trails We have people walking their dogs, to have hunters in there, too. I think the combination makes it too delicate."

While we understand the motivation to ban hunting, as the town discovered in 2012, the issue is complicated. In 2012 resident Bruce Scamman raised concerns about a hunting ban violating the terms under which the town was given the park in 1905 by Edward Tuck.

Hunters also successfully argued that they and their families have hunted without incident for years on land that is now part of the town forest. Many of them have properties abutting the parkland and use the public land to access private lands that are open to hunting.

The most compelling argument in favor of a ban is that while local hunters have an excellent track record, out of town hunters do not, as the recent duck hunting incident shows. So a ban would keep out the bad hunters but, unfortunately, it would also keep out the good.

We're glad the issue has come up again because clearly citizens and hunters need to have a dialogue.

We agree with Dan Crow who noted: "Education, education, education — that is the key. Everyone wants a safe park."

Ream said her group is open to working with the hunters to address safety concerns, however, she said "banning is obviously the safest choice for the community."

It is our counsel that hunters and non-hunters engage in a good faith dialogue prior to Town Meeting. However, citizens should also move forward with the hunting ban petition in case the good faith dialogue fails. Citizens can file a petition for Town Meeting after Jan. 11 and no later than Feb. 4. If it succeeds, petitioners can instruct Town Meeting voters to reject the petition. If talks fail, the petition will give citizens an opportunity to once again vote on the matter.